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Short-term Programs

Applications are being accepted and process on a rolling basis until March 1,2013 or until this program is full, whichever comes first.

Location Description

KENYA: Nairobi, Kakamega County, Kisumu, Naivasha, Nanyuki, Samburu, and coast

Kenya is located in East Africa and is bisected by the equator.  Home to a part of the Great Rift Valley, Kenya features salt and freshwater lakes, as well as arable highlands rich with volcanic soils.  Kenya also features broad semi-arid grasslands teeming with wildlife and domestic livestock; Mt. Kenya, Africa’s second tallest mountain, topped by glaciers; the shores of the Indian Ocean; and the bustling capital city of Nairobi, population of 3+ million.

Program Description

Designed to serve majors from many different disciplines, JMU’s Kenya Field School core course offers a unique opportunity to learn about peoples, cultures, and environments of contemporary Kenya through direct interaction.  This course focuses on three broad themes, each supported via site visits, homestays, lectures, readings, Kiswahili lessons, and elective courses:

1. Histories and Cultures of Kenya – the diversity of cultures extant in Kenya, the impact of colonialism on Kenya, and the meaning of post-colonialism and nationalism in the context of Kenya.
2. Human-Environment Interactions and the Quest for Sustainability – dimensions of rural life in two districts of Kenya, impacts of major cities in Kenya, varied land uses and pressures on the land, and use and potential of renewables, with comparative considerations in all areas.
3. Education in Kenya – the history of the education system in Kenya, its challenges and achievements, and local responses to the educational system.

     Learning Objectives include:

• Identifying key geographical features and patterns of “development”
• Identifying and analyzing social, political, and economic patterns and practices in Kenya
• Understanding ways in which individual and group identities are constructed, maintained, and contested
• Understanding elements of Kenyan culture as expressed through the arts
• Analyzing aesthetic and representational elements in national museums we visit
• Discussing and contextualizing prominent individuals and groups
• Discussing internal and external influences on Kenyan societies
• Critically examining contemporary issues, including urbanization, education, development, environmentalism, resource management, globalization, and HIV/AIDS within the context of Kenya (we will visit schools, NGOs, and national parks as we learn about these issues)
• Studying “sustainability” focusing on energy, water, food, and appropriate technology, as well as undertaking an appropriate project in rural Kenya
• 10. Demonstrating a working knowledge or better of the Kiswahili language"

Courses

Kenya Field School: 3 courses for a total of 9 credit hours

• KISWAHILI : 3 credit hours, introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels available
• CORE COURSE: 3 credit hours; cross-listed as ANTH 391, GEOG 350, HIST 391,  ISAT 480, SOCI, 391
• ELECTIVE COURSE: 3 credit hours, choose one from:
  • Political Ecology of Kenya (ANTH 391, GEOG 491, ISAT 480, SOCI 391)
  • Formal Education in Kenya (ANTH 391, IDLS 391, SOCI 391)
  • Topics in Engineering
  • Guided Field Study (ANTH 391, GEOG 491, ISAT 480, SOCI 391)

Additional Information

• Certain immunizations and anti-malarial medications are required; see http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/kenya.htm for details
• Visas are required to enter the country
• Cell phones will be shared and are provided by the program
• Detailed packing list is provided to all acceptees

Program Costs

For the current projected costs for this program, please click on the following link to the Fees for JMU Study Abroad Programs page.

Accommodations

Students will be staying in a variety of conditions throughout the course of the program. Living arrangements will include Hotels, Hostels, Residence halls/dormitories, host familes, and tents. All meals will be covered by the program fee. Group meals will be provided.

Application Information

For more detailed instructions and to download the application, please click on the following link to the Applications and Forms section for JMU Short-Term Programs.

In addition to the oIP application, students are required to submit the following material(s):

• Supplemental Essay responding to "why Kenya" -- what you hope to learn, and how you are prepared to cope with occasionally trying conditions
• Attend an Interview with the program director upon request
• Recommendation letters from two faculty members (can be found by following the link for Applications and Forms)
• Copy of current transcript

Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.0 in order to participate.